It’s a testament to the phenomenal excitement that greeted Palin’s selection in 2008 that Team McCain raised $8.8 million in just 48 hours after she was named VP. As for Ryan, Ed noted on Sunday that Team Mitt collected $3.5 million on 41,000 donations during the first day after he was introduced, which tells us two things. One: As you might expect, the bigger donations from more ardent Ryan fans came flooding in right away. Over the first 24 hours, the average contribution was north of 85 bucks. Two: Although it took them two more days to raise just a bit more money than they did on day one, they’re still averaging 30,000 donations per day over the last 48 hours. That’s the smaller-money donors flowing in now to show their support too, which has driven the average contribution down to a shade above $73.

But never mind all that; given the huge sums being spent this year on both sides, this is pocket change. The real money is in Republican Super PACs. Anyone seen any reports on how they’re doing this week? I’d be awfully curious to know whose side the GOP’s megabucks donors are on with respect to Ryan’s selection. Are they in sync with the base, which is thrilled to see Romney show such balls on an issue as momentous as entitlement reform? Or are they in sync with the pessimistic strategists who are already in “Game Change II” mode for Politico?

In more than three dozen interviews with Republican strategists and campaign operatives — old hands and rising next-generation conservatives alike — the most common reactions to Ryan ranged from gnawing apprehension to hair-on-fire anger that Romney has practically ceded the election…

They’re worried about inviting Medicare — usually death for Republicans — into the campaign. They’re worried it sidetracks the jobs issue. They’re worried he’ll expose the fact that Romney doesn’t have a budget plan. Most of all, they’re worried that Romney was on track to lose anyway — and now that feels all but certain…

“He just doesn’t seem like he can step into the job on Day One,” said [one] strategist, who professed himself a Ryan fan…

“This is the day the music died,” one Republican operative involved in 2012 races said after the rollout. The operative said that every House candidate now is racing to get ahead of this issue.

Another strategist emailed midway through Romney and Ryan’s first joint event Saturday: “The good news is that this ticket now has a vision. The bad news is that vision is basically just a chart of numbers used to justify policies that are extremely unpopular.”

Good lord. I see some potential pitfalls in the pick too but I don’t remotely believe that “Romney has practically ceded the election.” A terrifying thought, my friends: Not only are there people out there who are considerably more eeyorish than I am, but they’re apparently all working for the GOP. Terrific.

Here’s Stewart and “The Daily Show” with a cute segment on how confident each side is that Ryan’s going to win them the election. Pessimistic exit question: What’s ultimately a bigger liability for Romney’s new VP, the Medicare debate — or this?